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W460 automatic shift gate light....annoyance

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DesertStar
Posts: 2184

W460 automatic shift gate light....annoyance

Post#1 » Sun Nov 09, 2008 12:29 am

I am down to fixing the last annoyance on my G. The light in the shift gate housing. When driving at night and sitting in "the cave" my peripheral vision always catches the light coming through the shift gate (see photo). Do all 460s have this feature or am I missing some shroud piece ? Or maybe a bulb that is frosted on one side ? I never drove another 460 at night...or day for that matter.
SteveG, don't you have an automatic ?
Mike
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DSCF0008 [800x600].JPG

Adoni
Posts: 329

Re: W460 automatic shift gate light....annoyance

Post#2 » Sun Nov 09, 2008 11:43 am

Mike,

My G has the same issue and I also experienced it on my 81 300SD. I don't believe either of those vehicles ever had a shroud

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stevegsmith
Posts: 2666

Re: W460 automatic shift gate light....annoyance

Post#3 » Sun Nov 09, 2008 1:36 pm

The last owner stuffed in some foam on either side of the shift column to prevent stuff from falling down there. Illumination has always been sorta crappy. I've never changed it.
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G_shiftfoam.JPG

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DesertStar
Posts: 2184

Re: W460 automatic shift gate light....annoyance

Post#4 » Mon Nov 10, 2008 1:03 am

Thanks Steve. The only thing I think that may be better, or maybe I can make work is that "brush" type stuff like you would find on the other end of an ice scraper to brush the snow off. I think I have seen similar on other makes of cars that "hide" the inerds that a lifted lever or parking brake handle would show. I will put my thinking cap on and browse the junyard for ideas.
Mike

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jonathan joseph
Posts: 1407

Re: W460 automatic shift gate light....annoyance

Post#5 » Mon Nov 10, 2008 8:11 am

Well sometimes I wish I had that light working (I guess the bulbs been out for ever) but now maybe I don't.

Jonathan

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stevegsmith
Posts: 2666

Re: W460 automatic shift gate light....annoyance

Post#6 » Mon Nov 10, 2008 8:45 am

DesertStar wrote:Thanks Steve. The only thing I think that may be better, or maybe I can make work is that "brush" type stuff like you would find on the other end of an ice scraper to brush the snow off. I think I have seen similar on other makes of cars that "hide" the inerds that a lifted lever or parking brake handle would show. I will put my thinking cap on and browse the junyard for ideas.
Mike

Mike, If you take that shift box apart, takes some pics. I started to do it a few years ago and turned back. Can't remember why.
The brush type sounds good. It would be really cool if you could shape it to follow the shift path.
Let us know.
SS

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stevegsmith
Posts: 2666

Re: W460 automatic shift gate light....annoyance

Post#7 » Mon Nov 10, 2008 8:51 am

jonathan joseph wrote:Well sometimes I wish I had that light working (I guess the bulbs been out for ever) but now maybe I don't.

Jonathan


J-
It may have slipped out of the sleeve. If you pull the center console, you'll see where the light goes in on the right side of the black box. Shouldn't be that hard to replace if you want it back. Then of course you'd have to figure out a way to keep the light from driving you nuts.
SS

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DesertStar
Posts: 2184

Re: W460 automatic shift gate light....annoyance

Post#8 » Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:26 pm

stevegsmith wrote:
DesertStar wrote:Thanks Steve. The only thing I think that may be better, or maybe I can make work is that "brush" type stuff like you would find on the other end of an ice scraper to brush the snow off. I think I have seen similar on other makes of cars that "hide" the inerds that a lifted lever or parking brake handle would show. I will put my thinking cap on and browse the junyard for ideas.
Mike

Mike, If you take that shift box apart, takes some pics. I started to do it a few years ago and turned back. Can't remember why.
The brush type sounds good. It would be really cool if you could shape it to follow the shift path.
Let us know.
SS

Well, I decided to "turn back" as well. The configuration is not the greatest to do what I had thought would work. One of these days I will run across something, perhaps in a wrecking yard. I was a little hurried to get it all back together as my G has sat pretty much idle since Death Valley. It is in the shop now getting the tranny looked at.
Mike

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